Jonathan Vilma’s apartment on Long Island was raided in connection to some drug beef that looks like it came out of a TV show (the reverse of “ripped from the headlines”): a Liberian immigrant with a suitcase filled with stolen cocaine or fake money, a body dumped in Paerdegat Basin, a person shot execution-style… how that ties in to the former Jets middle linebacker is unknown, but they were supposedly killed in his condo.

Ray Floriani, writing for College Chalk Talk, writes on Richmond’s run in the CBI, where they lost to UTEP (Texas El-Paso) in the semifinal game. He notes the ridiculously bad (30% of their possessions) turnover rate for St. John’s being the difference in the game… along with the inability to stop Richmond from hitting threes. Floriani also expresses hope that playing in the game helps St. John’s coach Norm Roberts, “one of the good guys,” as he calls him.

Haters to the front! with this Louisville Courier-Journal article about how some question John Calipari’s recruiting and temper. I touched on this in the coaching candidates post, about how his players have not been class acts, even if (by some metrics) they do well in school. I thought Kentucky fetishized clean cut players… maybe not as much as winning. If someone in Wildcat country has a problem with the look of the kids – and even the occasional problem with graduating – they should get over it. Kids have tattoos, kids have swagger, and these kids win games. They’re not all going to be crew cut Adolph Rupp kids, and I’m sure those guys weren’t saints by any means. Though memory does have a way of sanctifying folks.

Memphis boosters are working hard on getting Calipari to stay. Of course they are. Can they touch the reported 8 year, 35 million dollar offer? If Cal goes, will Roburt Sallie, Wes Witherspoon, and Angel Garcia leave? Inquiring recruiters want to know… and if Calipari leaves, the Memphis Commercial Appeal has some candidates to replace him… though Cal wants Tony Barbee, his former assistant coach now at UTEP, to replace him. Unofficially, a Kentucky TV station says Calipari is taking the Kentucky job.

The University of Virginia has hired Washington State coach Tony Bennett to pilot the Cavaliers’ men’s basketball team. Kind of a surprise – no runs at Jeff Capel or other prominent candidates, and a pretty quick, no-muss no-fuss hire. Bennett has not been a head coach for long, but has brought some talent to the talent-barren Wash State Cougar team. They play very, very slow, but they are crisp and NEVER turn the ball over. Sylven Landesberg could be an ace in this system… Is Portland State’s Ken Bone the man to keep the Cougars growling? Roaring? Do Cougars roar?

Siena’s Fran McCaffery hasn’t heard from any of the high-profile jobs but did get an e-mail from a search firm on the Boston University job…. McCaffery has no issues if he stays put. He said he should have a really good team again next season after the Saints won consecutive first-round NCAA tournament games, beating Vanderbilt and Ohio State in back-to-back tournaments.

There has to be a job opening that has Fran McCaffery’s name on it. Then again, the coaches who have moved have either been assistants (like Shaka Smart to Virginia Commonwealth) or have been major conference-level head coaches. So it’s not time for the mid-major guys who move up, yet.

Word is coming out that Ashley Biden’s "friend" planted the camera out of sight. Nice work, tool. And which Presidential kids (Patti Davis, Dubya) DIDN’T do cocaine…? Dear America: rich kids still do lines. Photo taken from NY Post

* There was a deadly stampede in an Ivory Coast/ Côte d’Ivoire football/ soccer match. 19 people died. I link to the BBC coverage because at least there, the comments below the article aren’t a-hole savages who say things like "typical black people" and "animals" and "Barack Obama blah blah hate" such… same stampedes happen worldwide when soccer is involved.

* In happier news, the US Women’s Professional Soccer League started play yesterday, and it was a solid game, a victory for the Los Angeles Sol. The Brazilian footballer Marta was quick as hell. The Fox Sports production left a little to be desired, and I’d like to hear better, more analytical announcing vs. "gosh this is historic!" talk (though both Jenn Hildreth and Mark Rogondino have some soccer/ football in their background), but I enjoyed watching it.

* Seth Curry is transferring from Liberty to Duke. He deserved better than some cut-rate non-basketball school in a low-level league. The education is far, far better in Durham. I hear at Duke, the girls are allowed to have sex, as well. In all seriousness, Duke, though? With guard after guard always coming in? And no big men to take the pressure off? Interesting, Steh Curry, interesting.

* Is Anthony Grant worth $2 million? Well, he doesn’t have the body of work that other coaches have, but $2 million ensures that Alabama won’t have to restructure his contract in a year if he does well. How the new Crimson Tide coach does will be interesting to watch, I’m rooting for him.

There’s little to quibble about with Coach Cal, except for the air of impropriety that follows Mr. Calipari. In fact, he can be even more selective with the characters he brings in to another school; Calipari has not coached at one of the storied programs yet in his career. And I am sure – and this is no real dig at Kentucky – that when it comes to providing perks or contacting the parents of recruits with boosters, Kentucky knows how to not get caught.

It’s a win-win. A man who loves a big platform, knows how to market and gladhand? It’s a perfect union, Calipari and Kentucky. And in terms of wins and losses, if the SEC is anything like it is this year, his team might go undefeated in the conference again. Just for fun, he’ll probably use his higher profile and actually bring in a college player from China.

If Cal does sign, the Kentucky fanbase can start worrying about topping UCLA in the number of NCAA championships (yes, I know Cal’s never won one, but he is very close).

Tough place to coach, that Kentucky. A different hoops world. Some say Kentucky has no choice, and I agree that at a certain point, the well’s just poisoned. But even if the coach is a turd and a half, he deserves a few years to recruit his guys!

Some St. John’s fans would love that kind of decisiveness; but New York fans and media are almost the same kind of attack dogs. And a lack of patience gives the idea that NYC doesn’t wait for a winner, which gets non-rebuilding efforts like the Layden and Isiah Thomas NY Knicks eras. And it gets people calling for the St. John’s head coaches’ job from his first year (even if the hire was curious at the time). Then again, anyone going to Kentucky knows you have to deal with, as Rush the Court so aptly puts it, the political side of the job. That is something Norm Roberts is very good at, even if his x’s and o’s are underwhelming. The administration would go through a wall to protect the coach.

It would be interesting to see if former UK player Travis Ford gets a sniff this time; he understands the culture down there and could thrive.

edit: As for Donovan, as my friend Martha says, his team has played in the NIT for TWO straight years… maybe he’s not the excellence that Kentucky is looking for.

Read a little more on Anthony Grant here; this is an interesting turn of events. It’s great that they are targeting a candidate quickly, and I assume this means that Grant must be their man, or else they would wait on Mike Anderson and the weekend games. And having a coach in place gives him more time to try and attain those last-minute spring recruits.

+ Eric Devendorf – punk or not? Read the take on Rumors and Rants, and the take on Ballin’ Is a Habit (which is sensible). And a defense here. Personally, I just think his mind thinks of plays his body can’t finish; he’s gotten better at matching his actual talent with his imagined talent, but watching some of his drives, truer words were never spoken than Sean McDonough’s "Devendorf’s the kind of player that keeps both teams in the game."

+Patty Mills gets the best of Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats in their matchup at St. Mary’s, which was the best NIT game I have seen since St. John’s beat Georgetown in 2003. And that wasn’t actually a good game. Mills has a far better supporting cast, and doesn’t turn the ball over 6 times in a game with a questionable dribble and ill-fated passes.

For some reason, folks think that Tubby wants to come back south. Now, it is cold in Minnesota, but the man is building a great team again; and his time in the SEC was… well, I don’t know who would want to go back into that cauldron. Kentucky fans may be insane, but are Alabama fans much nicer, more patient? Well, probably, but still a long shot. He’s got a pretty good gig, and he’s nearly 60.

Why So Sexy: He’s won at a 70% clip overall at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, and now Minnesota. He’s sent a number of players into the NBA as draft picks, won a national championship, and has gone to the NCAA Tournament 14 times in 18 years.Drawbacks: The winning is nice, but Kentucky was dissatisfied with the lack of championship banners in Tubby Smith’s 10 years. I don’t find much to quibble with, but those NBA players – the best of the lot would likely be Tayshaun Prince and Rajon Rondo – were vilified in the Bluegrass state for their inability to match expectations, especially on offense. Is that Tubby’s recruiting, his player development, or just overly high expectations?Good for: A team who has a lot of money and a private plane to lure Tubby out of Minneapolis… personally, I don’t see why he would go to yet another school, but money does talk.

The former assistant under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas – 1994 NCAA champions with their “40 minutes of hell” style of play – has instituted the fastest 40 minutes in basketball (really, Virginia Military is faster, but not by much). Mike Anderson’s team has had some struggles, but he is in the NCAA Tournament with Missouri, who hadn’t “gone dancing” since 2003.

Why So Sexy: Anderson has Missouri playing some great ball and in an exciting uptempo style. He utilizes a number of players, young and old. Anderson recruits guys who can play his system. The team’s defensive field goal percentage is excellent, but their turnover rate is more spectacular. They handle the ball well. He rebuilt a Missouri program at a low point, and coming off of some scandal.Drawbacks: If big success in the NCAA Tournament requires 2-3 NBA players, then Mike Anderson – who hasn’t sent anyone to the top American professional basketball association – isn’t yet primed for the big success. His style took 3 years to institute at Missouri, a period that also featured a few arrests and nightclub incidents that schools hate to be involved with. But he never said he wouldn’t be interested in a return to, say, Alabama, where he coached (Alabama-Birmingham).Good for: A team who needs excitement, hustle, and has a little patience – it might take a year or two to get the proper mix of precision and pressure working for the team.

Former Tom Izzo assistant Frank Haith is on this list in part because of a rumor that he is looking to leave Miami, and might be a candidate at Alabama from CBS Sports. Now, I have no doubt that there is some truth to the rumor that Alabama is interested but…. Haith has a single NCAA appearance under his belt; his teams look like St. John’s on offense with much better players – little flow and a lot of physical hitting. There’s also the lack of a point guard… and the point guard they had getting arrested. Haith says he will absolutely return. We will see.

Why So Sexy: Haith’s team made a NCAA run last year. He has developed a nice rotation of tough, physical defenders who make scoring hard and don’t foul the other teams’ players; he has recruited some solid talent to a school that hasn’t often attracted quality players. The Hurricanes tend to rebound very well.Drawbacks: They don’t have much point guard play and have not in a while. Frank Haith’s teams, while defensively tough, don’t pressure the ball enough, keeping them out of the elite chaos-bringing level of defense. Haith has only won 55% of his games. And yes, the ACC is a tough conference, but at least one year with single-digit losses would inspire more confidence in Haith’s ability to make a team elite.Good for: A school that wants a tough, physical squad.

You may remember Reggie Theus from the Saturday morning NBC show Hang Time. Let’s just get that out of the way right now, shall we? Theus is a good team ambassador and former Rick Pitino assistant. He coached at New Mexico State for a pair of years, with transfers and holdover talent like Elijah Ingram (booted from St. John’s in that great Pitt incident). They got to the NCAA Tournament, but they lost in the first round… and then Theus coached the Sacramento Kings.

Why So Sexy: Theus managed a 10 win improvement in the New Mexico State Aggies. He attracted some solid recruits (Herb Pope being one) and was looked at as the next coach of Creighton before Dana Altman decided to stay a Blue Jay. He coached a season and a half with the Sacramento Kings.Drawbacks: Theus has kind of a flimsy college resume, and is an unknown quantity. His New Mexico State teams turned the ball over quite a bit. The NBA is a different game, but he only won 41% of their games.Good for: A west coast team who wants a coach with extensive playing and media experience.

Fran McCaffery gets some great performances from his Siena team. This is the second straight year they are in the NCAA Tournament, and this is the second year they have made the second round, even coming from the small MAAC conference. McCaffery gets his teams to play fast, force some turnovers, and not foul. The amount that Siena doesn’t foul is truly amazing, and has been impressive for the last 3 years. Also, Fran is a Wharton grad and has a wife who really cares about basketball (that’s a serious plus in my mind).

Why So Sexy: He’s done very well in conference everywhere he has been. McCaffery has developed solid players at Siena, and they have beaten two major conference foes (to date) with the group of Ubiles, Franklin, Hasbrouck, and Rossiter. He knows his way around the prep schools in the northeast. McCaffery’s team can win shooting from outside and inside, depending on his talent. The Saints force turnovers.Drawbacks: McCaffery’s teams have not been elite, but that might be a question of the level/ conference they play in. There is some question as to why Fran has not gone for a higher profile job, coaching at Lehigh, taking assistant jobs for 10 years, and then coaching at UNC-Greensboro and then at Siena. Then again, his career winning percentage is 57%; his winning percentage at Siena is much better – 65% – while willingly taking on the nation’s best competition.Good for: A team who needs a very good coach who develops players, and doesn’t want to break the bank for a coach who is already at a school with deep pockets. Fran McCaffery is close to Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage… which means that if St. John’s should remove the current head coach, there will be competition for McCaffery’s services.

The former Tom Izzo assistant has been with the Dayton Flyers for 6 seasons in his first head coaching stint. And he has been very, very good. Actually, he’s been excellent, and then his teams have had some injury issues in 2006 and last year, where the Flyers were a legitimate top-25 team before Chris Wright‘s injury. Under Gregory, the Flyers have been tough and defense-oriented, much like Tom Izzo’s teams, but with more pressure. They speed the other team up and don’t get the ball stolen (though they do have a number of non-steal turnovers) and rebound well.

Why So Sexy: Brian Gregory’s teams are getting better and better every year, and he gets his players to play against the best teams in the country. They play an exciting style (10+ deep) and with the pressure they bring, they’re always in the game. They play pressure but usually they don’t play a helter-skelter fast style – they actually are in the lower half of Division I in pace, and have been for years.Drawbacks: I suppose one never knows how well a coach can recruit high-level players until he is at a high-level basketball school, and Gregory’s only real marquee recruit is Chris Wright. This year’s team is a poor-shooting squad, and the free throw shooting for Dayton hasn’t been very good in Gregory’s tenure. In fact, his teams have been so-so shooters, non-elite defenders, and force fewer turnovers than one would think with their defensive style. As well, he hasn’t developed a quality big man in his time at Dayton.Good for: A team who needs an up-and-coming coach with an ability to adapt to his personnel and coach some players up. Though he did just sign a contract extension. It is not on paper yet.